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Mercedes-Benz Masters to return to Vietnam

The Mercedes-Benz Tour next month returns to Vietnam to the tournament which was so instrumental in launching the fledgling circuit last year.

The Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam will be played at Van Tri Golf Club in Hanoi from November 20 to 23 and will boast prize money of US$50,000.

The tournament was part of the ASEAN Golf Tour last year and it was so successful that Mercedes-Benz took the foresighted decision to title sponsor the whole tour this year and title sponsor six of the 10 events on the schedule.

“Last year’s Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam allowed us to test out the concept of running tournaments to help give more playing opportunities for young professionals in the ASEAN region. This was the objective of the ASEAN Golf Tour as a whole and we at Mercedes-Benz were delighted with the outcome which is why we significantly increased our involvement in 2008,” said Dr. Udo Loersch – General Director of Mercedes-Benz Vietnam.

“This season the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam will form the penultimate leg of the Tour and will be followed by the Mercedes-Benz Masters Thailand. The tournament will be much bigger than last year’s edition and we are expecting a very strong field,” added Dr Loersch.

Filipino Mars Pucay won the tournament last year at Vietnam Golf and Country Club .Pucay has been performing well this year on the Tour which has seen some brilliant victories by his compatriots Angelo Que and Felix Casas, Malaysia’s Ben Leong and young Thai star Wisut Artjanawat.

Five events have been played on the Mercedes-Benz Tour so far – the Mercedes-Benz Masters Indonesia, the Mercedes-Benz Masters Philippines, the ICTSI Mt. Malarayat Championship, also in the Philippines, the Mercedes-Benz Masters Malaysia and the B-ing Championship in Thailand.

A full field of 144 players will compete in the event including a number of the region’s top amateur players.

“We are excited to be heading back to Vietnam. The country has so much potential and we are proud to be playing a part in helping the game make great strides forward,” said AC Wong, Chairman, Mercedes-Benz Tour.

The Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam is joint sanctioned with the Vietnam Golf Association who are working hard to aid the development of the game in their country.

“The Mercedes-Benz Tour really suits our requirements as it is about creating more playing opportunities. We really need more tournaments in Vietnam for our increasing number of talented golfers,” said Dr Chu, General Secretary, Vietnam Golf Association.

“In the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam last year our amateur Hyunh Van Son was the joint first round leader. This was an amazing achievement and I am sure we can expect more such local success stories this year,” added Chu.

Van Tri Golf Club is the first exclusively private golf estate in Vietnam. The Van Tri Golf Club is conveniently located four kilometers from the Hanoi – Noi Bai Highway and situated in a secure gated community. The club house amenities include a main dining room serving the highest standard of International cuisine and the accompanying high standard of service that is expected of a private members’ Golf Club.

This exclusive, private golf club is restricted to only 400 members. The golf course measures 6.700 yards from the medal tees, but streches to over 7,200 yards from the “Tiger Tees” and provides golfers of all skill levels the opportunity to enjoy a round of golf.

October 16 , 2008